20-Minute Lentil Sloppy Joes

Happy Father's Day to all the awesome dads out there, including my dad and my husband! Yay for Fathers! If there is one thing my husband likes, it's sitting down to a big, juicy, sandwich for lunch. And if there's one thing we both like, it's putting aside work and all our chores for a few minutes, sitting down to a casual meal together, and catching up about our day... There is just one problem.

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We have very different diets, so finding meals we both enjoy can be challenging, to say the least. I don't eat meat, and he loves it. Honestly, sometimes we end up eating totally different dinners. But lately I've been coming up with some creative ways to get on the same page - the same menu page, that is.

These 20-Minute Lentil Sloppy Joes taste like the real thing, only better! The addition of charred green peppers add a welcome crunch and fire, and smothering the sandwich in mild cheddar adds a much-needed creamy fat element that you would otherwise miss without meat. The best part, they're super easy to make! And they taste just like the real thing because... they are the real thing! I use the same Manwich brand sauce for my lentil mix that my husband likes for the classic beef version; SHHH my secret is out! Scroll down for my 20-minute Lentil Sloppy Joe's.

There might be lots of reasons someone may be avoiding ground beef typically used in Sloppy Joes, beyond being a vegetarian or vegan. Some folks may be told by their doctor not to eat red meat due to a variety of possible health conditions. Some are taking a temporary break from meat or animal products to see how they feel. I am a vegetarian / occasional pescatarian, so I don't eat it anyway. It takes a conscious effort to get enough protein, good fats, and iron in my diet every day, but I have a feeling that could apply to many people, no matter your dietary preferences. Please allow me to introduce my friend, the lentil.

Lentils are one of nature's highest sources of iron, and 1/2 cup lentils contains as much iron as a 4 oz hamburger patty. Whatttt... Yep, you can plug the foods into a nutritional calculator and see the nutrition breakdown for yourself. Depending on the amount of course, lentils can weigh in as having more iron than spinach, and the iron in a typical serving of lentils blows chicken out of the water! Who knew!

Check out this article for the facts: https://www.rd.com/list/foods-more-iron-than-spinach/

Did you know that according to the World Heath Organization, anaemia (iron deficiency) is the most common nutritional deficiency in the world? Check out the article here: https://www.who.int/news/item/20-04-2020-who-guidance-helps-detect-iron-deficiency-and-protect-brain-development

Wow, it looks like some meat-eaters may benefit from a side of lentils, too! Feel free to try my recipe below and see what you think of lentils cooked in spicy sweet Sloppy Joe sauce, or just make it the old-fashioned way with ground beef instead, this recipe works either way. No matter what your dietary preferences, your taste buds will love the addition of the crisp green peppers and melty cheddar cheese!

Clearly I am not a food photographer. Somehow my photo makes the sandwich look tiny and my thumb looks so huge. I promise, this is a normal sesame size seed roll, as well as a normal size thumb.

Now, I have seen and personally tasted several versions of legume Sloppy Joes that are very complicated to make, and after all that, they still don't taste like the Sloppy Joe's you remember as a kid. I had chickpea version in an eclectic wine bar back in Palm Beach County; normally, this place usually served up pretty good chow, but the garbanzo bean sandwich tasted like... a garbanzo bean sandwich. It had none of the sweetness or peppery bite one associates with a mouth-watering Sloppy Joe. It was just plain... sloppy.

Then I found an online recipe that took me 20 minutes just to shop for the long list of ingredients to make the imitation sauce. In the meantime, I bought a can of Manwich for my husband's beef version, but I didn't know if he wanted original or bold, so I bought both. When I got home I realized the obvious: Sloppy Joe sauce is vegetarian. Just don't add the beef. Wait, why are we trying to recreate Sloppy Joe sauce with our own bare hands, and you know it's not going to taste exactly the same, when we can just USE THE ORIGINAL and simply sub out the meat? I thought to myself that there is no way it can that easy, right? Well, I tried, and it IS that easy! Cook up some lentils, add some garnish for extra flavor if you want, and you've got yourself a DELISH lentil version of your favorite childhood lunch! I CAN'T STOP EATING THESE!!!

There are a couple of sauce options on the grocery shelf and you can use any brand you like. Personally, I like the "Bold" Manwich sauce; it has a rich tomato flavor with a bit of BBQ zest.

Finally, make sure you have your favorite sliced cheese handy; I like mild cheddar since it blends in nicely with the simple flavors and doesn't overpower the sandwich. I haven't tried any other cheese with this sandwich, but I wonder if spicy pepper jack or smoky Muenster might fun options, too.

Well, it looks like it's time to give it a try!

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LENTIL SLOPPY JOES

Prep Time: 20 mins / Makes 8 sandwiches

RECIPE

1 cup dried red lentils

1 cup water plus more

1 cup vegetable broth

1/2 tsp salt

1 standard can of Sloppy Joe sauce

1 green pepper

1 tsp butter or olive oil

8 sesame seed sandwich rolls

8 slices cheddar cheese

DIRECTIONS

1. Rinse the red lentils in a strainer, then place them in a stovetop pot with the water, vegetable broth, and salt.

2. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer and cover; cook for about 15 minutes. Sometimes the lentils can boil over and dry out, so check often and add more water 1 Tbsp at a time if needed.

3. While the lentils cook, dice the green pepper.

4. Add to a hot pan with the butter or oil. Quickly sear peppers until they blister and start to char. Take off the heat immediately.

5. Check that the lentils are cooked al dente (not mushy).

6. Stir in the Sloppy Joe sauce and turn off the heat.

7. Toast the sesame seed rolls. Put a slice of cheese the roll and heat a few seconds in the microwave if you want it melted.

8. Spoon the lentils onto the roll and top with the charred peppers. Enjoy!

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STEP-BY-STEP DIRECTIONS WITH PHOTOS

1. Rinse lentils. Rinse the red lentils in a strainer. Contrary to popular myth, lentils do not need to soak before cooking. Just give them a good rinse and they're ready to cook.

2. Cook lentils. Place the rinsed lentils in a stovetop pot with the water, vegetable broth, and salt. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer and cover; cook for about 15 minutes. Sometimes my lentils can boil over and dry out, so I check them often and add more water 1 Tbsp at a time if needed.

3. While the lentils cook, dice the green pepper.

4. Add diced peppers to a hot pan with the butter or oil. Quickly sear peppers until they blister and start to char. Watch them carefully and take off the heat immediately when hey are done.

5. Make sure you cook the lentils al dente (still slightly firm). You want the lentils to be done but still have some chew, shape and texture. Be careful, a few minutes can easily turn these too soft, and the last thing you want is a mush sandwich.

6. Stir in the Sloppy Joe sauce and turn off the heat. You can taste test and add a dash of salt or ground pepper if needed.

7. Prep the sandwich rolls. Toast the sesame seed rolls. Put a slice of cheese on the roll and heat a few seconds in the microwave if you want it melted. Alternately, you can place the rolls in the oven with a slice of cheese and toast them that way as well as melting the cheese; you'd have to heat up the oven and prep a tray, so I just use the toaster and a microwave. However, once I lived in an apartment with no microwave, and I used my oven to heat basically everything, so that works, too.

8. Make your sandwich! Spoon the lentils onto the cheesy roll and top with the charred peppers.

Enjoy your melty, sweet and spicy, peppery, cheesy, Sloppy Joe sandwich! The nostalgic taste from your childhood is back and this time it's plant-astic, all thanks to lentils!

You can keep the leftovers (IF you have any!) in the fridge to easily make more sandwiches over the next few days OR you can freeze 1/2 cup cubes of the lentil mixture to easily heat up just enough for a sandwich or two on demand. Check out this amazing little silicone food freezer tray to perfectly portion your sandwich filling in advance, I have this exact Souper Cubes and I love it.

I hope you enjoyed my take on this classic sandwich, and as always, please let me know what you think!

With Love,

Molly

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